Radish with ‘legs,’ giant napa cabbage: Rare produce contest held in north Japan city

YOKOTE, Akita — A contest for unusual produce was held in this northern Japan city on Nov. 8, showcasing fruit and vegetables with rare traits such as a “human-legged daikon” and gigantic heads of napa cabbage.

The event featured 163 items competing based on their size, rareness and other qualities, proudly picked from local farms by around 50 residents. Yokote is known for its high agricultural output in Akita Prefecture, and the show is put on by women from the local branch of the JA Akita Furusato agricultural cooperatives to spur the city’s agricultural industry.

This year, there were 23 “big catches,” 117 examples of high-quality goods and 23 pieces exhibited for their rarity.

Some of the large items included a daikon with tuber measuring over a meter long, napa cabbage that had grown over 50 centimeters long and a pumpkin with nearly a 30-cm diameter.

The corner for rare goods featured daikon with roots resembling human legs — even one in a complete jogging pose, taro roots that look like a mouse and a coiled-up Japanese sweet potato. Visitors were surprised by the lineup.

According to a JA Akita Furusato official, there were few napa cabbage offerings this year due to things such as the record heat in summer. The number of producers participating in the contest is also falling due to the aging of female members of the group. Regardless, the group is aiming to place 180 items on display next year, evincing high hopes for the next harvest season.

(Japanese original by Akira Kudo, Akita Bureau)